It's new and grand....but bittersweet

*Ragnar* · June 20, 2014, 06:03 AM

No need to match the length I got carried away. :p

Gradually, Ragnar had begun to spread the message of the Stavanger Bay that Odinn in a raven form, as Ragnar believed the one eyed raven whom he glimpsed from time to time within the territory, had led him (and essentially Julooke who had been following him) to. To Ragnar, the intent of the All-Father was clear. He had once held Ravensblood Forest it utter reverence and had believed he felt the God’s presence there but he also felt it, more powerful in the earth beneath his paws of this Bay. Their Bay. This was where they were meant to be and beyond the belief that his Gods thrummed life into this ancient place they had found it was, more importantly safe and abundant with prey, their trails could be scented going every which way in the forest from deer to elk to even goat and wild sheep. They would not go hungry and they were far enough west and north that there was a good measure of distance between them and the other packs of the Teekon Wilds. It was new and Ragnar did not make a habit out of uprooting packs (at least not his own) but this Bay felt right to the newly Christened alpha. Something Horizon Ridge had not felt in quite some time …besides he had began to harbor the suspicion that the Ridge lands were cursed given the two major tragedies that had befell them within months of one another and the arrival of the Isle wolves.

Ragnar was a stubborn beast, and he did not back down; did not believe in retreat. This wasn’t retreat, this wasn’t surrender, this was a gathering of the facts, the relentless press of two major threats against them: the Isle wolves and now the bear that had stolen Pump’s life, and deciding to take the best course of action for the pack as a whole. It wasn’t about what Ragnar wanted anymore…he couldn’t afford to think so selfishly as their sole leader. He was doing what he believed to be for the absolute best for the pack so they might be allowed to grow and flourish, prosper; so that future generations: Ragnar’s and any other mated couple’s to be in their ranks could grow up without the worry of starvation or being slaughtered by a bear.

Granted, they could stay and they could fight but as a commander it wasn’t a smart tactic when they had better options lain before them that kept his wolves alive. That was the best course of action even in raids: keeping men alive and avoiding needless bloodshed.

He paused in his urination of the borders he had already marked, re-enforcing them when Thistle’s howl rose into the crisp, warm, slightly foggy morning. It had been a sound of joy that had lifted from his wife’s lips something that made the Viking smile as he considered that he had not expected to see something such as joy from his wife for some time given how hard his sand colored Shield Maiden had taken Pump’s death. It had hit Ragnar hard, too, and he had mourned for a brief bit but had said his goodbyes to Pump and celebrated that she was now in Valhalla and not suffering as she had suffered when the creature had attacked her and severed her spine in two and then had dragged her broken and still alive body along the shore (despite that he knew she hadn’t believed). She felt no pain, now. His culture celebrated death perhaps because they were so certain they knew what was waiting for them. It might have been wrong to other wolves but it was Ragnar’s culture and while her absence still hurt he could not let it keep him from doing what he needed to do.

He lowered his leg and took a deep breath. It was a lot of work for one man. Others had been by to assist, he could smell them over his own scent but the idea of enlisting Thistle was too good to pass up. He moved towards the direction her howl had rose from, shrugging through the shrubbery and fog and called out in a sharp whisper, “Thistle!” when he had found her and when he had his wife’s attention he gestured with his muzzle in the direction of the borders. “I want your help marking the borders.” Mostly because it was a lot of urination and he was pretty sure he didn’t have anymore left.